iSay It's Not Over Until Carly Sings
by writerchic16
Summary: Carly and friends host their own iCarly Idol singing competition. After she unknowingly makes some on-air remarks about reality TV that offend most of their fans, can the group win viewers back before iCarly goes belly up?
1. Prologue

_**iSay It's Not Over Until Carly Sings**_

Summary: Carly, Sam, Freddie, and Spencer parody an American Idol-type TV series, _National Pop Star_, on their web show.

A/N: I admit it, I'm twenty-years-old and a (minor) fan of iCarly. Compared to what Disney spews out, this is actually a pretty decent show with actors who can act. Yeah, it's weird, but I have an excuse – I _do_ have an eight-year-old sister who is either watching Nickelodeon or Disney every time I baby-sit.

I'd like to take this moment to apologize for any inconsistencies with characterization or plot. Since I don't watch the show on my own, I haven't seen every episode.

* * *

_Prologue_

Turning up the music on the radio, Carly danced around the kitchen while she prepared dinner for her and Spencer. Her older brother was in the living room, working on a sculpture made entirely of cheese and bacon.

Carly hadn't felt the need to ask for an explanation.

"Spencer, did you use _all_ the cheese?" Carly yelled, opening up the fridge. She yelled not because she was angry, but because the music was blasting. "I told you to leave a little bit for the tops of the tacos!"

Before, there had been the sounds of Spencer humming along to the pop song on the radio and the occasional _squish_ of dairy product. Now there was silence. Then…

"Sorry! Want me to go and get more?" Spencer offered. "I'm almost out of Munster anyway!"

Smiling to herself, Carly replied, "No, it's okay! We've still got the canned refried beans."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure!" Carly closed the fridge but found she was still freezing. Rubbing her arms, she asked, "Did you turn on the air conditioning? It's _freezing_ in here!"

"I had to!" Spencer argued. "Otherwise the cheese will start to smell. And you know how cheese is. I mean, I've got Gorgonzola in here!"

"No, no, it's okay. I'll just go put on a sweater," Carly said, her nose wrinkling at the thought of the stink filling the apartment. She went up to her room to get one, then as she was coming down the stairs heard…

"Cool! Bacon!"

"No, Sam! I worked on that part for an hour!"

Letting out a deep sigh, Carly came into the main living area to find that Sam had arrived with Freddie in tow. Sam was standing by Spencer's artwork, a gleam in her eye as she deliberated which piece to take next. Already, she had a piece in her hand that was bitten in half.

As if nothing was happening, Freddie sat himself down on the couch and grinned at Carly. "Hey, Carly! That sweater looks really nice on you."

"Thanks, Freddie…" Carly said, her tone distant as she kept an eye on her brother and best friend. Sam was ignoring Spencer's pleading look, still deciding which piece of bacon would enter her mouth next.

Gathering his courage, Spencer ordered, "Sam, stop it! This is not a breakfast buffet! Go circle around the fridge if you're hungry!"

"Tough noogies. It's _bacon_. Covered in _cheese_," Sam said as if the suggestion was ridiculous.

Then she glared at him.

Holding up his hands in surrender, Spencer turned away as he muttered, "I _knew_ I should've used fruit jerky!"

"Hey, Sam?" Carly began, inching closer to her friend…who kept her eyes on the statue. "I made tacos, if you want. Spencer said he was about to go to the store…I can ask him to buy you more bacon."

Sam eased up on her intense stare while she considered the offer. After a second or two, she shrugged. "Fine. But you have to make the bacon."

"Deal," Carly replied, relieved that the dismantling of Spencer's artwork had been avoided. After saying he'd be right back, Spencer left to go to the store.

When the girls headed into the kitchen, Freddie got up and asked, "Hey, can I have one too? My mom's been on this fish and tofu kick. She says it's good for my digestion…or whatever. Something like that."

Carly gave him a sympathetic frown. "Sure, I made extra." She'd been planning to save it for when she didn't have time to one night. _Well, looks like I'll be making Mac & Cheese two nights this _week, she thought. As they all settled down on the couch to eat, Carly placed the spread on the coffee table and asked, "So, not that I'm not thrilled to have you here eating my food, but…why _are_ you here? Shouldn't you both be studying for Ms. Briggs' test tomorrow?"

"I haven't used the textbook yet, and I don't want to break my streak," Sam replied around a mouthful of taco. "My goal is to return it in mint condition. _Someone_ has to look out for the poor soul who gets my textbook next year."

"You're so selfless," Freddie sneered.

In response, Sam reached over and wiped her taco-sauce covered hands on Freddie's shirt sleeve.

Stifling a laugh, Carly reasoned, "Now come on, Freddie, you should've expected that."

"Yeah, I know," Freddie sighed. He took a napkin from the table and began cleaning his sleeve. "Got any club soda?"

"In the fridge," Carly answered. As Freddie got up to get it, Carly asked Sam, "Now, come on, why are you here? You knew _I'd_ be studying."

Staring at her wide-eyed, Sam asked, "Don't you know what tonight _is_?" When Carly shook her head in the negative, Sam exclaimed, "It's the season finale of _National Pop Star_! I've been waitin' all year to see if Bryan Oceantrough gets smacked by Steven Collins. Bryan _so_ deserves it – the little bugger annoys the heck out of me."

"Who and who?" Carly asked.

"It's an _American Idol_-like show," Freddie explained. He paused as he looked up from where he'd been scrubbing his shirt with a paper towel. "Actually, it's _exactly_ like _American Idol_. Talk about network competition."

"Yeah. It's kind of like how _The Naked Brothers' Band_ is Nickelodeon's answer to _Hannah Montana_ or _The Jonas Brothers_," Sam said. When her friends gave her blank stares, she continued, "You know, 'cause they're all young singers…no? Okay then."

Shaking his head, Freddie said, "You know, I didn't figure that you would be into that type of show, Sam. It's so…peppy."

"Are you kidding?" Sam exclaimed. "There's fighting among the contestants, stupidity to mock, and the judges insult everyone all the time! Steven Christopher is my hero!"

"Who?" Carly asked. Not even that big of an _American Idol_ fan, she'd never even heard of the show her friends were talking about.

"The nasty judge. Every _American Idol_ rip-off has one," Sam answered. "The nice judge is Pattie Anderson, and the just-because-there-has-to-be-a-third judge is Ricky Jameson."

Recognizing that the names were so similar to the original show cast, Carly remarked, "That's uncanny."

"Isn't it?" Freddie remarked. Realizing his shirt wasn't going to get any cleaner, he began to walk back into the living room. "Turn it on – it's going to start soon…"

"Hey, butt-munch, go make us some popcorn," Sam ordered, finishing off her second taco.

Freddie glared at her. "Make it yourself, booger."

"Please, Freddie?" Carly interrupted, staring at him with wide, pleading eyes.

In his defense, Freddie tried to resist for about point-two seconds. Then his resolve melted like the butter he would soon pour over the popcorn he was going to make. "Sure, Carly. Extra salt?"

"Yes, please," Carly replied with a smile.

* * *

A half-hour into the show, Carly was reading her textbook for the test. Sam was still engrossed in the program, one arm around the popcorn bowl while the other reached in and grabbed a handful of the snack every now and then. Stuck in the middle, Freddie alternated between watching the show and attempting to steal a measly piece of popcorn when Sam's hold happened to loosen.

Spencer's re-entry into the apartment, arms loaded with a grocery bag filled to the top with cheese, seemed to break the trance his sister and her friends were in. "Man, did somebody turn on a zombie switch in here?" he asked, staring at the mesmerized thirteen-year-olds.

Carly's head snapped up and her book fell out of her lap onto the couch. "I-is the show over? Yet?"

"What are you guys watching?" Spencer asked, dropping the bag on the kitchen counter. On a side note, he took out a vacuum-sealed package. "Got your bacon, Sam."

At that, Sam glanced at Carly, who remembered her promise to be chef and got up from the couch. "I'm on it."

"We're watching the finale show of _National Pop Star_," Freddie explained. "It's between the excitable blonde who cries all the time – Trisha – and Alfonzo, the rocker-dude."

Looking at the television, Spencer said, "Oh, I saw this show when my friend had it on. It's so bogus. I mean, you three could do a better job at judging amateur singers than those three can."

Light bulbs and fireworks went off in Carly's head. Bacon grease splattered as she threw up her hands in excitement. A quick glance at her friends' wide eyes proved that the exact same thoughts were running through their minds. "Spencer, you're a genius!"

"Really?" Spencer asked, then frowned. "Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"To the iCarly set!" Carly exclaimed. The three friends rushed out of the room and up the stairs. Then Sam came back down and got her popcorn and a leftover taco, out of breath as she ran up the stairs again.

* * *

A/N: This came out a little longer than expected. I couldn't help myself, though – these characters are so much fun to write! I think that's why I love writing stories for kids' shows – it's fun, innocent humor and not so much serious drama.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Hey everyone!" Carly sang out in a high opera voice. "I am Carly!"

In a lower voice, Sam joined in, "And I…am…Sam!"

"Do you want to know why we're singing?" Carly sang. The two were standing in the middle of the set, broadcasting an episode of iCarly a week later.

"Because it's the…" Sam chimed in.

Then they joined in with not-so-perfect harmony:

"First Ever Episode of _iCarly Idol_!"

The next few moments consisted of Carly and Sam practicing their scales, high notes, or otherwise screaming at the top of their lungs – all while jumping up and down.

As Sam kept it up, Carly stopped and said, "Okay, that's enough."

"La la la la…."

"Sam!"

The blonde froze mid-"la." "Right."

"So, Sam, since you're the big reality show fan, want to explain to the folks at home exactly what we're doing here?" Carly offered, indicating that Sam take center stage.

"I'd be happy to, Carly," Sam answered. "Okay, first of all, who else _so_ wasn't surprised when Trisha won _National Pop Star _last week? Alfonzo was cute and all, but really he didn't have a chance. Which is sad, because every time Trisha cries I wanna punch her and make her cry more…"

"Sam!"

Shaking her head, Sam continued, "_Anyway_, since all the good reality shows are pretty much over for the year, we've decided to host our own! But auditioning the entire iCarly community would be hard…"

Poking her head in, Carly added, "Downright impossible!" then bounced out of the shot.

"Exactly!" Sam went on as if nothing had happened. "So we held auditions for kids in our middle school! Unsurprisingly, a _lot_ of kids showed up, but most of 'em we were able to throw out just based on the horrible singing they were doing on the line to get in. The five best guys and the five best girls will sing for you, while Carly, Freddie and I will judge over there," Sam finished, pointing to the car in the wall. Freddie was manning the camera right then, but in order to have the three judge the show, he agreed to figure out a way to position cameras around the room so he could switch angles with a remote control button. "Now, let's introduce our host!"

"Yup! Everybody welcome…my brother Spencer!" Carly announced, joining her friend to the right side while Sam pressed the applause button on the remote control.

Spencer walked into the room, waving to the camera. "Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be here! I've always wanted to host something!"

"And now's your chance!" Carly replied.

Giving him a warning stare, Sam added, "Yeah. Don't screw it up."

"Thanks for the…encouragement?" Spencer said.

"Once we introduce the contestants and let them sing," Carly explained, "You at home need to stay on and go to the voting page, _right away_ to start voting for your favorite."

"And the total loser with the lowest votes by the next show goes home! It's as simple as that!" Sam finished.

"Alright, now that you've got the rules," Carly said, "Let's bring out our finalists!"

They spent the rest of the segment introducing their finalists. There was Emily Moore, a perky brunette who blew a kiss at the camera (and caused Sam to make gagging noises behind her back). There was Todd Greenwood, a chunky kid who gave the camera a shy smile. Sarah Wilson nearly skipped across when it was her turn, and Nick Benson ran his hand through his spiked, highlighted hair.

After them were the blonde twins Abby and Aaron Matthews, nearly identical despite their opposite gender. Boy crazy Celine Thompson gave Spencer a bone-crushing hug before stepping offstage, while best friend Brooke Harper trailed behind. On the other hand, Eric Martin winked at both Carly and Sam before exiting.

"Well, you've met them all," Carly said at the end of the broadcast. "Next time you see us, Spencer will take over hosting duties as these ten kids perform live on ! For more info about them, go to…" She paused as Sam pressed a button on the remote control to flash a graphic of "_ iCarly Idol Page!_"

" Our totally new _iCarly Idol Page_!" Carly and Sam exclaimed together, letting out a few more yelps of musical scale notes. Composing themselves, Carly continued, "That's right, you can follow a link on our home page to where we have photos and Q&A's of the contestants so you can get a head start on picking a favorite! For now, I'm Carly…"

"I'm Sam!"

"And I'm Spencer!"

"Ending the very first episode of _iCarly Idol_!" Carly said. Then she, Sam, Spencer…and the rest of the contestants…exclaimed, "See ya!"

* * *

"…wherever, wherever, wher-_ever_ you go…" Celine Thompson sang out as she finished up "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat, going up so high on the last "wherever" that all on the set had to cover their ears.

One hand on her ear, Sam crumpled up a piece of paper she'd been using to take notes and went to throw it at the distracted Celine, only to be stopped when Carly reached across Freddie and caught the blonde's arm in a death grip. Sam glared at Carly but still calmed down, while Freddie let out a contented sigh after the experience of having the brunette's arm over his head.

Unaware of their antics, Celine finished, "Where-re-ever you go, I'll always know….baby you make me smile even _just_ for a while…"

All in the room felt that a miracle had happened when the music stopped and Celine turned to the judges with a proud grin on her face. Popping his own ear, Spencer came onto the screen and put a friendly arm around Emily's blouse-covered shoulders. "That was…_chilling_. I felt a shiver go down my spine," Spencer said, in a way that meant it hadn't been a positive one, Yet he still gave Celine a winning smile. Feeling the blonde slip her arm around his waist, Spencer took a step back and continued, "So, judges, what do you say? Good enough to make the top four?"

"Um…." Carly trailed off, looking at Celine's hopeful face. During the past shows they'd developed a judging pattern. In terms of American Idol, Carly was a mixture of Paula and Randy. She tried to be as nice as possible, but was always gave criticism when it was called for. "…honestly, Celine, I don't know. The other four were pretty good tonight, and I just don't think you gave your all. It…it wasn't great. Work on your high notes. But remember, it's up to iCarly fans who goes home, and…I like your outfit!"

"Thanks!" Celine answered, the entire criticism going in one ear and out the other at the mention of her outfit, which consisted of a bright blue dress and heels.

Relieved he didn't have to console another crying contestant (but then again, they hadn't gotten to Sam yet), Spencer said, "Okay then. Freddie?"

"Well, Spencer, I agree with Carly…"

"Big surprise there," Sam heckled. As for the pattern, Freddie was none of the Idol judges, but more often than not agreed with whatever Carly said and often broke into fights over disagreements in opinion with Sam.

Freddie let out a deep breath before he continued, "You look fantastic, but it wasn't very good. You can do better."

"Thank you, Freddie," Spencer said. "Sam?"

"You sure ain't Celine Dion. That sounded like a kid screeching into a mike at an elementary school talent show. Thank goodness this night is over," Sam replied, in her true Simon fashion.

Spencer gave Celine a concerned glance. The twelve-year-old looked as if she were about to cry…but wasn't ready to break down yet. "Celine, would you like to say anything to Sam?"

Brushing back a tear, Celine asked, "Do you at least like my outfit?"

Sam gave her a quick once-over and scoffed, "No, not really!"

"You're so _mean_!" Celine wailed, running off the set. All contestants went home after they performed, so she grabbed her jacket and exited via the service elevator.

Frustrated, Carly glared at the only blonde left in the room. "Sam! Look what you did!"

"Yup. Third one in a row," Sam said with pride, holding up three fingers.

"Alrighty then, you guys at home know what you gotta do," Spencer said to the camera. "Between now and next week, go to 's…"

Before he could continue, Sam pressed the button for the graphic on the remote control.

"That's right, 's 'iCarly Idol Page!' We'll have videos of tonight's performances up there by tomorrow. But, before we leave, we have a special surprise for you. Since this _is_ Top Five night, your very own Carly will sing for you!"

"What?" Carly exclaimed, jumping out of her chair. "I most certainly will not!"

Giving her a weak smile, Spencer explained, "Look, Carly, this competition made me remember what an awesome voice you have. When you were little, you were always the best in school pageants and stuff."

"See, folks," Carly said to the camera. "This is why you do not let your brother host your web show!"

Sam sighed as she put her feet up on the car dashboard. "Oh, come on Carly. Everyone else sucked, it's the least you can do."

"Yeah, Carly! I love it when you sing," Freddie said, glancing up at her with pleading eyes.

Carly bit her lip as she considered their request. Finally she asked, "What do I sing?"

* * *

A few hours later, the four were hunched over the laptop at the desk, pouring over comments on . They were amazed. Response was higher than ever before. Vote totals were through the roof.

And fans could not stop raving about Carly's rendition of Drake Parker's "Makes Me Happy." A contestant voted off a couple of weeks ago had done it, so they had the popular track on hand.

"This is so cool!" Carly exclaimed. "I can't believe people actually think I can sing!"

"You _can_ sing! Didn't I tell you?" Spencer reminded her.

"You were so awesome," Freddie added, resting back on his chair as if he were reliving the moments in his head.

When the phone on the table rang, he was so startled that he jumped. Therefore, Sam was almost giddy when she answered the phone. "'Sup person. Sam here."

She listened for a few moments, then said, "Sure. Let me put you on speaker." Putting her hand on the mouthpiece, Sam said, "Hey, Carly, there's some official dude on the phone. Says he wants to speak with you about your performance on the show."

"Well, if it has to do with iCarly, you can put it on speaker," Carly replied. Meanwhile, she shared looks with her brother and other best friend. They were all thinking the same thing. Had the impossible happened, and a big shot record producer in Hollywood seen her show?

They were close. A deep, female voice filtered through the speaker. _"Hello, Sam?"_

"Hey, I'm still here," Sam answered. "You're on speaker with me, Carly, Freddie and Spencer. Go."

There was a brief pause, then the woman answered in a surprised voice, _"O-oh, okay then. My name is Christina Davis, calling on behalf of Bryan Oceantrough of _National Pop Star_." _

"_National Pop Star_?" Carly asked. Only weeks ago she didn't even know what it was. Now they were calling her after a broadcast? Why would the producers of a singing competition be calling her, the host of a web show? "Why would you be calling me?" She got up to go stand by Sam, who' been perched on the table ledge with her sneakers on the arms of Freddie's chair.

"_Really, Ms. Shay –_"

"Please, call me Carly."

"_Alright, Carly. But really, you have no idea why I would be calling after that fantastic performance?"_

"I-I wouldn't say it was fantastic…"

"_I would, and Bryan Oceantrough would…"_

"You keep saying this name like I should know who he is…"

Another brief pause. _"You don't watch _National Pop Star_? That seems surprising, as it's directed at your demographic. Don't all your friends watch it?"_

"Well, Sam does, but I'm really not into those stu…" Carly caught herself and recovered, "S-stupendous reality show competitions."

"_Nice save_."

"Thanks, I thought it was."

"_See? That's why we want you to be a finalist on the show next season,"_ Ms. Davis continued. _"You have personality, which is proved by the thousands of hits you get on iCarly every week. You'd be a favorite of the competition."_

"Don't I have to audition first?" Carly asked. But she, along with the other three, were barely able to contain their excitement, all staring at her with wide eyes and jagged breath.

"_O-Oh, well of course. Auditions are being held in Seattle in a month,"_ Ms. Davis assured her. _"But I assure you, after what we saw today, you'd be a shoo in. The audition would really only be a show for the audience at home."_

"I don't know if I like that. It doesn't sound fair…" Carly argued.

"_I assure you, it's completely fair,"_ Ms. Davis was quick to reply. _"The judges haven't seen you yet, have they? And aren't they the ones who pick who goes to the finals?"_

Considering the argument, Carly shrugged at the others and said, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"I don't know about this, Carly," Freddie chimed in. "Aren't there always thousands of people who show up to audition? You could wait for hours and not even get in."

"_That won't happen,"_ Ms. Davis replied. _"Just call my number when you get there, and we'll make sure you get to see the right people. It's 206–555–3333."_

Carly hesitated, sharing looks with the others. Just managing to keep her composure, Carly wrote down the number an answered, "Ms. Davis, can I get back to you on that?"

"_Sure, Carly. Let me know within the week. You've got my number?"_

"Yeah, I've got it…"

"_Then I hope to hear from you soon."_

Christina Davis of _National Pop Star_ hung up.

And Sam let out an excited scream that had everyone once again covering their ears.

* * *

A/N: How come whenever I intend to write short chapters for a story, it comes out longer than I wanted it to? I swear, I do not have the ability to write any chapter shorter than five pages. Eh, well. Thanks for the reviews so far!


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Carly and the group were wrapping up the top four show of iCarly Idol. Celine Thompson went home earlier in the show, saving many ears from any more unnecessary pain (as Sam had put it). Carly, Sam and Freddie were still seated in the car, while Spencer gave the final plug for the iCarly Idol webpage.

Eager to end the broadcast, Sam got up and swiped the remote control from Freddie's grasp. Unless Sam needed it for extra effects, Eddie was its keeper until they returned to regular iCarly episodes, since he had to control the camera angles.

Sam aimed the remote at the camera and pressed a button. "Whew, glad that's over for the week. Need time for my ears to recuperate." Then she re-aimed the remote control and turned off the "On Air" sign.

Getting out of the car, Freddie asked, "Sam, are you sure you pressed the right button? The light on the camera – "

"It's fine, tech geek," Sam retorted.

While Freddie sulked, Spencer said good-bye and left, mumbling something about buying cheese. Carly finally got out of the car, staring at her friends and letting out a deep sigh. She took two bean bag chairs from the side and tossed them before her and the car in a horizontal line. "Hey, guys? Maybe you should sit down. I've made a decision about the whole _National Pop Star_ thing."

And she had. It'd taken her the entire week, during which she'd agonized over every point from if she wanted to abandon iCarly for the season to how doing so would affect her and the show's future. But she made up her mind and none of her friends could change it now.

That was the reason why she wasn't waiting for Spencer. He already knew. They'd stayed up long into the night many times over the week agonizing, and he was there when she made up her mind.

Glancing at her with concerned looks, Sam and Freddie took seats on the bean bag chairs. "Are you going to leave and do the show, Carly?" Freddie asked, appearing heartbroken at the mere thought.

Meanwhile, Sam was bouncing up and down on the chair in excitement. "Don't listen to the dork, Carly. This is the chance of a _lifetime_ and you'd be crazy not to go. It's only for a few months, anyway, and Spencer said he'd help co-host. Plus you could bring a camera and we could do on location broadcasts! How cool would that be? We'd be the only web show in the country with that kind of _National Pop Star_ access!"

"I know, and it would be really cool," Carly assured her, pausing to let Sam calm herself down. The blonde, a fanatic for reality TV, had worked herself up during her unintended rant. "And...I-I…" Carly trailed off, giving her friends one last look before taking the plunge. "I'm not going to go. I called Ms. Davis back this morning. I can't tell if she was more surprised or insulted that someone had turned down the 'golden opportunity of a lifetime.'"

"Yes! My wish came true!" Freddie exclaimed, losing control of himself as he jumped up and gave her a tight hug that nearly knocked the wind out of her.

Patting him on the back, Carly tried to gently pry the ecstatic boy off her. "Freddie…Freddie…Freddie…" Carly said. When she couldn't get the boy to respond, she turned to a less-than-enthused Sam. "Hey, can you…?"

"Sure. Unlike you, _I_ don't turn down golden opportunities," Sam answered.

With that, she grabbed Freddie by both shoulders and tossed him to the side, where he almost crashed into the computer table.

Wiping her hands together, Sam sighed. "Alright, I feel a little better now."

"I would've stopped if you just asked," Freddie shot back, trying to maintain some dignity as he stumbled to his feet and rubbed his aching shoulders.

"Sorry, Freddie," Carly said because she knew Sam wouldn't. "Look, Sam, I don't know if you can understand but…I just don't think it would be best for me in the long run. I would miss iCarly too much. And there's school…I mean, I wouldn't want to miss half my first year of high school for a singing career I'm not sure I want. I'm thirteen – I don't know if I'm ready for a solo career. Hosting iCarly is enough fame for me…right now, anyway."

Sam didn't respond for a moment, then finally nodded. "I guess I get that. But you'd get to be on _TV_!"

"As what? Some reality show's puppet?" Carly argued. These thoughts about reality TV came from the many hours she spend researching these kinds of competitions in general and reading other's testimonies online. "Ever since that first conversation with Ms. Davis, this didn't feel right at all. She told me otherwise, but I _know_ I'm getting an advantage – I'm not sure, but I just feel it. And it wouldn't be fair to everyone who's trying out. Yes, I know I'm probably not the only one they contacted in this way, but the least I can do is remove myself from it before it blows up in my face."

Gazing at her with profound respect, Freddie said, "That's really mature of you, Carly. I'm proud."

After a moment, Sam agreed, "Yeah. Me too. Honestly, that sounded a little shady, but the whole _National Pop Star_ and the possibility of getting close enough to punch Bryan Oceantrough got to my head…"

Carly laughed. "Well, don't give me too much credit. Those reality shows are so stupid in general. If I did decide to try for the big time one day, I'd want to do it on my own, without owing all my success to some TV competition. Those shows are for people who want a quick way to get famous after working at something for a while, not genuine amateurs like most shows say."

"Totally agree," Freddie replied. "You're way too good for that kind of show."

Giving a modest shrug, Carly replied, "I don't know about that, that's not quite what I'm saying, but…thanks. Glad you guys aren't too disappointed."

"I was gonna get to punch Bryan…and get Steven to sign my punching fist!" Sam whined.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Spencer burst into the room, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Carly! Sam! Freddie! Turn the camera off! Turn the camera off!"

"The camera _is_ off. Has been for like a half hour," Carly replied.

"N-No it hasn't," Spencer replied, crossing the room and putting his face close to the camera lens. "H-Hey everyone, h-hope you enjoyed…our special segment of What Carly Might Say If _National Pop Star_ Asked Her To Audition. See you next time!'

Then he made sure to press the camera's power button as he fell backwards, Freddie jumping out of his bean bag chair when Spencer fell into it.

Leaping to her feet, Sam exclaimed, "_What_?"

"How do you know this?" Carly shouted, panic rising in her heart. "I thought you went cheese shopping!"

Trying to catch his breath, Spencer explained, "I wanted coffee, so I went to this cyber café next to the place where I got cheese. While drinking it, I thought to myself, 'hey, why don't I look at what people are saying about the last iCarly'? Good thing I did, because the next thing I know I'm watching a video of my little sister insulting reality TV in front of thousands of internet users!"

"Oh my God!" Carly and Sam shrieked together, absolutely horrified.

Giving Carly a weak smile, Freddie suggested, "Maybe no one saw it?"


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A week later, Carly, Sam and Freddie were lounging on the sofa looking for all the world like depressed couch potatoes. It'd been about a month or so since _National Pop Star_ ended in January after it's usual Fall run. At this point, the trio had expected to be reaping in the extra popularity from their _iCarly Idol_ episodes.

Instead, here it was, the night after their top three show was supposed to have debuted. It had been a complete disaster in every way. Their three finalists – Eric Martin, Brooke Harper, and Emily Moore – hadn't even shown up. Word had spread around school about Carly's insulting remarks. Now, the once respected A-list web show hosts had been reduced to D-list losers. Everyone either thought Carly considered herself too good for TV (despite what she'd claimed), or were super jealous that she' gotten that attention. As for poor Sam and Freddie, they were outcasts just for being associated with her.

So it was no surprise that when the next episode rolled around, the three made their excuses. Emily felt disloyal since _National Pop Star_ was her favorite show, and was angry at Carly for her "obvious lies" about how reality shows worked. Eric backed out because his date for the weekend felt the same way as Emily. And poor, insecure Brooke didn't want to be scorned by the student body for appearing on the show.

Carly, and her friends had no choice but to let it happen. After all, it's not like the contestants were being paid, or under a contract – nor could the three friends have enough fees for a lawyer that would make them uphold such a contract if one was made. So, with nothing planned, they did something they never had to do before.

They cancelled that week's episode of iCarly.

It was also a test of sorts. Did all iCarly fans hate them now? Were there even iCarly fans left? Were they done for?

They were too afraid to look.

"It…it can't be that bad…" Carly finally spoke up. They'd been watching something on television, though she didn't have a clue what it was. "Someone still has to like us."

"Really? Because even my mom said that she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with me hanging out with a snob," Freddie admitted in a quiet voice. At Sam's fierce glare, he was quick to add, "Her words, not mine. I still support your decision 100, Carly."

"Me too. The rest of the school are the losers. Brain-washed reality-TV lovin' bimbos," Sam seethed, leaving out the fact that up until a week ago she had been one. Neither Carly nor Freddie had the courage to remind her.

Giving them a weak smile, Carly said, "Thanks, guys, that means a lot. But we still have a problem. What are we going to do about iCarly?"

"Well, I think it's safe to say that _iCarly Idol_ is dead," Freddie remarked.

Carly and Sam exchanged looks, as if silently deciding whether it was worth it to argue on that point. Neither liked the idea of giving up on something that had been so much fun to do, and a real hit before…the incident. But, with the absence of participants, they were stuck. Even if they picked themselves up and started the competition again…who in their right mind would audition? Her shoulders sagging, Carly reluctantly agreed, "Yeah, I think it is."

"So what now?" Sam asked.

Not knowing what else they could do, they decided to log on to the website and see how many hate posts were on the iCarly page. While browsing, they were slightly relieved to see not _everyone_ hated them. In fact, some agreed with what Carly was saying and cheered her on.

The three breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe there was still a chance for iCarly after all.

But then they saw the post by someone called PopStarFan24.

"What's that?" Freddie asked, pointing to it. The message featured a link.

The post read:

"Carly is sooo stupid and doesn't know what she's talking about. No way do I believe that _National Pop Star_ actually offered _her_ a finalist spot. She can't sing and is just jealous 'cause she's such a cocky snob. That Freddie guy obviously edited her voice so that she sounded good, 'cause look at this:

See? What really happened was that she auditioned for _Pop Star_ on her own, but they told her to take a hike. So she had her goons heavily edit her performance to make her sound good. Who are you gonna believe, a little crappie web show like iCarly, or _National Pop Star_? That's what all the officials are saying over at the _Pop Star_ boards, and that's who I believe. So iCarly, I hope your show tanks."

"Why I oughta…" Sam yelled, jumping out of her seat and looking ready to throw the computer against the wall. "If I ever find out who this jerk is, I'll kill 'im!"

"Sam, calm down!" Carly ordered. Her expression blank, she said, "Freddie, click on the link."

When he did, the window opened to reveal…

The latest online ad for the next season of _National Pop Star_.

While it just ended, every year the show made a spectacle out of the auditions held in May, before the actual show began in September. This way it provided entertainment through bad auditions, and began public interest in the top twenty who made the finals. Labeled the _National Pop Star Pre-Show_, it was a taped event and the process actually started in early April.

As the ad played, it showed various auditioning people terribly missing notes or doing odd dance moves. An announcer talked over them.

_Can't wait for the next season of National Pop Star?_

Clip of the previous winner singing her winning song.

_You don't have to._

Fast clips of a dozen bad auditions.

_The Infamous National Pop Star Pre-Show. _

Slower clip show this time so they could tell it was only four or five. In between a girl hitting an ear-splitting high note and a guy break dancing, was…

Carly. Singing "Makes Me Happy."

Only it was in front of the usual audition background. And she was not hitting any notes or keeping the pace.

"They _edited_ me?" Carly screeched. "They can't do that!"

"Actually, Carly, they can," Freddie replied solemnly. "See that's posted on someone's blog? That person is claiming that they made it as a fan video, and that all material was taken from an individual source. If you did sue _National Pop Star_, they'd pass the suit on to that person. And even then you would need to prove that the edit was made and that you actually didn't audition for the show. But, if _National Pop Star_ turns over their phone records as proof, your number will be on the list. And they can twist that to mean whatever they need it for."

"But we have witnesses that the show offered Carly the chance to audition!" Sam exclaimed.

"I hate to admit it, but PopStar24 was right," Freddie sighed. "What judge is going to believe a bunch of kids over powerful businessmen?"

As the three sat there and fumed, Carly remarked, "This is not over."

A/N: I was going to include this as part of the last chapter, but then I figured that this story was going to be short enough on its own. If you can't already tell, I'm zipping through this in an effort to have it read like a short little episode, not an epic or anything. There should only be about two more chapters after this.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Hey everyone. I'm Carly."

"And I'm Sam."

"Well, if you're watching this, you've probably noticed our different location," Carly remarked, pointing to the cement side of a huge building.

Also pointing, Sam added, "And if you haven't, you must be _really_ oblivious!"

"We're at…" Carly paused, allowing Sam to join in, "The Central Seattle Theater!"

"And no, don't worry, iCarly hasn't turned into a musical," Sam said as if the very thought disgusted her.

"No, definitely not. We're on a super secret spy mission," Carly said, then hesitated. Then her eyes traveled down to Freddie's pocket, which held the cell phone with internet access. As they went, the footage in the camera traveled down a wire under Freddie's shirt and attached to the phone that Freddie rigged to automatically send it back to the iCarly set. Where Spencer (who'd been a little hesitant about them breaking the law, but came to agree that it was for the greater good) then posted it to . They figured there was about a thirty-second delay, but for a homegrown web show it wasn't bad. "Well, I guess not so secret since we're broadcasting live. But, you get the idea. See, about a month ago, you may have heard the _lies_ that _National Pop Star_ was spreading, editing my voice and saying that I had Freddie made me sound good on iCarly. Well, you know that I would never let Freddie do that, right?"

"Of course not," Sam said. "And if he did, I'd punch him."

Carly chuckled. "Sam, you'd do that anyway."

"Darn right I would," Sam agreed. "See?" Then she punched Freddie, the camera man, in the arm.

"Ouch, Sam! Trying to work the camera here!" Freddie protested.

It was about a month and half since they'd seen the outrageous ad online. During that time, they'd planned and plotted their revenge, staying up through many sleepovers trying to figure out what to do to restore Carly's good name. Progress was slow, since they all had the tasks of schoolwork and avoiding as much public scorn as they could. Finally, news spread about the audition locations for the next season. When the trio saw their hometown on the list, they knew it was the answer to their prayers.

Somehow.

The exact plan was a little fuzzy. All they knew was that they had to sneak into the theater where auditions were being held and expose the non-reality of the reality show live on iCarly. They'd considered calling up the woman who first offered Carly the job, claiming that Carly had seen the error of her ways and would do anything to be on the show. Seeing no other option at the time, they did. This was the answer they got:

"Are you kidding, Carly?" Ms. Davis had laughed, making Carly instantly regret letting the woman use her first name. "This little scandal you created is making us thousands of dollars. Do you realize how many trashy tabloids are covering the rift between 'the formerly beloved host of iCarly and the number one show in America'? I'm sorry little girl, but smoothing all this over so that _you_ can save face is just not worth the effort and money. We've found ourselves another 'puppet' for the season, so you and your little friends can watch the next season of _National Pop Star_ sulking on your couch in front of the TV. Have a good day."

Then she'd hung up, leaving the trio steaming mad and yearning for revenge. Now this wasn't only for the sake of iCarly. This was personal.

Reasoning that Davis' henchmen would have them "escorted" out as soon as they were spotted, the three gave in to the fact that sneaking in was their only option. Now they were all dressed in sneakers, jeans and long-sleeved shirts, wearing warm hoodies rather than coats for faster movement. Carly wasn't too happy about breaking the law, even if it was for a good reason, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Anyway," Carly continued. "What happened was, _National Pop Star_ edited my voice in an effort to discredit me, since I basically said that they gave me an unfair advantage over other contestants…which isn't exactly good PR. Well, today, live on iCarly, we're here to prove once and for all who's the liar here. But…first we have to get inside."

"Hey, guys?" Freddie asked, following them with the camera.

Not looking back at them, Carly replied, "Yeah, Freddie?"

"You do realize that the whole world can see us breaking and entering. Which is against the law. Which could lead to jail time," Freddie pointed out.

Sam waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, please. What's the matter, dork? Afraid of a few months in juvie?"

"Not _all_ of us have been there before, Sam. Or have a record," Freddie snapped.

Carly let out a groan of aggravation and explained, "We have to do this live. Otherwise who knows what would happen to the tapes if we were caught. Even if our camera gets busted after we get evidence, everybody would still have seen it."

"Hey, I got an idea!" Sam exclaimed. "This place _must_ have a main kitchen, right?"

Rolling her eyes, Carly shouted, "How can you think of food at a time like this?"

"First of all, that line was so cliché," Sam replied. "And second, I'm not talking about the actual food, although if we could steal a sandwich or something…"

"Sam!" Carly exclaimed.

Refocusing, Sam continued, "Right. Anyway, all major kitchens have loading docks. And most of the time, they leave those doors open for deliveries and stuff. If we go around to the back, I'll bet there'll be an open door just waiting for us to use it."

Carly paused for a second, as she and Freddie exchanged surprised looks of admiration for the idea. "That…that actually could work."

"Trust Sam to combine two of her favorite hobbies in time of need," Freddie said as they began running toward the back of the building. "Eating and juvenile delinquency."

* * *

"Well, that worked," Carly said as she and the crew made their way out of the kitchen for the theater's restaurant. Since it was the middle of the day it hadn't been hard to sneak through undetected. As she and Freddie stepped into a hallway, she looked around. "Hey, where's Sam?"

"Over here!"

The two turned to see Sam at one of the stainless-steel countertops…making herself a bacon and ham sandwich. Sighing, Carly exclaimed, "Sam! Come on!"

"I can't let perfectly good deli meat go to waste," Sam argued. She slapped the other half of the six-inch Italian loaf on top, grabbed it with both hands and went to leave. Then she went back and grabbed a water bottle. At her friends' exasperated looks, she explained, "What? The bacon will make me thirsty."

"Hey! You!"

The trio glanced back to see four or five security guards running at them like linebackers. They were built like linebackers too, easily able to take on a group of scrawny thirteen-year-olds. "Uh oh," Freddie gulped. "I hate to be cliché, but…we've got company."

"Maybe they'll let us go if I give them my sandwich?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so…" Carly said as she and her friends slowly began to back up. "I think it's best to make like Scooby and run for our lives."

"Should we also 'split up, gang'?" Freddie asked.

Carly nodded. "That'll be good."

As if on cue, they all screamed at the top of their lungs and ran in three different directions.

* * *

Panting, the three met up at an elevator. They waited until they were safely going up until they recounted what happened to the iCarly viewing audience.

"Hey, guys, sorry it got a little weird there," Carly said to the camera. "I hope Freddie was able to entertain you…"

"But since that's highly unlikely we'll just leave it at 'sorry about that,'" Sam couldn't help but add.

"Hey, I'll have you know that the footage was _very_ entertaining," Freddie retorted. "They heard the raw fear in my jagged breath, the pounding of heavy security guard feet behind me, and…the, um, girlish scream I let out when I tripped over my shoelace."

"Yeah, well, I had it easy. I hid in an open utility closet, let him pass me, and doubled back to the elevator," Carly explained. "What about you, Sam?" She then noticed that Sam's hands were now empty. "What happened to your sandwich?"

Sam shrugged. "I ate half of it while I was running, then threw the rest of the ham behind me. That guard will be icing that ankle for a good, long time."

"We are so going to juvie," Freddie moaned.

Then the elevator door opened and the three began casually walking to the main giant theater where auditions were being held. The girls pretending to audition while they snuck Freddie in, the small crew made their way down the front and hid behind a large trash receptacle. Kids lined up to audition in the seats near by, but for the most part no one bothered them.

Eventually two in seats at the end of an aisle got up to use the bathroom, so Carly and Sam took those seats while Freddie stayed behind the trash can. "Okay, so now we're in the main room for _National Pop Star_ auditions," Carly whispered. "We have to keep quiet, though. I don't think you want to see more of us being chased, do you?"

"Oh my God!" a girl in the row behind them squealed. When Carly and Sam indicated that she lower her voice, she whispered, "Oh my God! You're Carly and Sam from iCarly! I love you guys!"

The two gave her weak smiles and refocused on the stage in front of them. A handsome, tanned and muscled guy was auditioning for the judges. Once he was done, Bryan Oceantrough came on stage.

"Hey, Pete, that was great…" Bryan said with his trademark fake smile. "But we think you could do better. Why don't you sing it in a slightly lower note?"

"But I thought everyone just got to sing once…" Pete said, his brow wrinkled in confusion. "That's what happens on the show."

Shrugging, Bryan explained, "Sometimes certain people just deserve a do-over. Now, why don't you give it another go?"

"Alright," Pete said with an unsure smile. The judges waited patiently for him to sing the whole song once again. It still wasn't _that_ much better, but it was better.

Yet each of the judges gave him encouraging remarks, saying that they saw his potential to be great. Pattie even said how hot she thought he was and that all the ladies are going to love him. Needless to say, he was given a ticket to the next round.

After him was a shy girl with glasses and acne. But she belted out "Amazing Grace" in a voice that didn't sound like it could even come from her.

"Wow, she's amazing," Carly whispered. "They _have_ to let her in. I mean, they gave that other guy a second chance…"

Then they stopped her before she even finished the song. "I'm sorry, Natalie, but you're not quite what you're looking for. Maybe next year."

"I'm sorry, my singing must have been off. Can I please try…" Natalie began.

But she was cut off by Bryan. "He said that you're not what we're looking for. Good-bye."

Her head down, Natalie shuffled off the stage.

Carly and Sam sat there, stunned. "What just happened?" Sam asked.

"That's not right," Carly said, anger in her voice.

The following auditions went by in much the same manner. Carly and Sam narrated for the iCarly viewers when they could, knowing that they were bringing the downfall of a reality show empire.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After a few hours, Freddie's legs were starting to hurt so he stood up for a brief second, making sure to keep his camera out of sight. His heart started to pound when he made eye contact with the security guards at the entrance. One of the men pointed to him and the group began to discreetly make their way down the side aisle. "Uh…Carly…Sam…"

"What, geek?" Sam snapped, annoyed at being distracted from the auditions on stage.

Not daring to touch Sam's shoulder, Freddie grabbed Carly's instead and turned her around. "Look!"

"And the chase resumes," Carly deadpanned, taking both her friends by the wrists and running down the side aisle ahead of the security guards.

Unfortunately, this sudden movement attracted the attention of the guards from backstage. This group leaped into action, pounding down the stage steps and cutting the trio off from going around the front. By then, most of the crowd noticed the disturbance and murmurs of surprise began to sound around the room.

Backed into the corner between the stage and the side wall, Carly, Sam, and Freddie knew the chase was over. Fast talking and conniving was now their only option. To Freddie, this meant raising the arm that wasn't holding the camera in the air and exclaiming, "We'll go quietly! Don't shoot!"

"They don't have guns, you boob," Sam retorted as she rolled her eyes.

Freddie slowly lowered his arm. "Oh."

"Alright, you three, come with us," one of the guards barked.

While taking Carly by the arm, another ordered, "And turn that camera off!"

Seeing Freddie hesitate, Carly pressed, "Do it, Freddie! Press that _green_ button or we're all in trouble!"

Freddie paused, looking at her with an indiscernible expression on his face. Then he sighed and pressed the green button on the camera. A red light that had been shining blinked off. "Sorry, iCarly viewers," he lamented. "We've been censored."

"Quit the dramatics and get back stage," a guard ordered.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second," Bryan interrupted before the group made their way behind the curtain. "Do my eyes deceive me? Or did Carly Shay, the host of iCarly, have the nerve to show up here?"

"Talk about dramatics," Carly muttered.

Out loud, Sam snarled, "It's _co-host_, you dork."

"Ah, yes, you're the _lovely_ co-host Samantha Puckett, if I'm not mistaken," Bryan sneered. "And Carly's little sidekick, Freddie Benson."

"I am _not_ a sidekick. Say it with me – _technical producer_," Freddie retorted, the man's snotty attitude getting on his nerves. By then, the guards had taken Bryan's cue and left the stage. But the trio had no doubt that if escape were attempted, they'd be caught faster than one could say "handcuffs."

"Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to," Bryan said while waving a dismissive hand. "Are you three aware that breaking and entering is against the law and punishable by time in juvenile detention? Although, I'm sure Samantha is no stranger to such a place given her on-screen persona."

"Hey!" all three exclaimed with indignation. Getting control of her temper, Carly said, "And I thought this was an open audition. Anyone could walk in."

Chuckling, Bryan replied, "Anyone except you three, apparently." Then he turned to the riveted audience, which included the judges, and explained, "Our security tapes caught them sneaking in like criminals through the back loading dock onto the kitchen. And Samantha making herself a 'free' bacon and ham sandwich."

"I was hungry! And anyone who watches the show knows that bacon is my weakness," Sam defended.

Ignoring her protest, Bryan continued, "Just out of curiosity, how many of you watch iCarly?" The middle school students' jaws dropped in amazement as no less than eighty-percent of the crowd raised their hands. Smirking, Bryan asked, "Let me ask you this – are you willing to watch your _favorite_ web show now that you know that the hosts are _juvenile delinquents_?"

"Hey, you should talk!" Carly exclaimed. At Bryan's raised eyebrow, she explained, "I mean, you're not Mr. Good-and-Honest either. That video of me in your ad is completely fake, and you know it! I've never auditioned for _National Pop Star_ before in my life! How could I, even? Seattle auditions weren't until _today_!"

A low grumble of suspicion rippled through the crowd as accusing looks were sent in Bryan's direction. Undisturbed, Bryan replied, "Everyone knows that we hold auditions in LA right after our season finale. You could have easily flown or drove down to auditions there."

"But I _didn't_!" Carly insisted. "This isn't _fair_!"

"Yeah. You _did_ start the whole thing by having _your_ sidekick, Ms. Davis, call Carly," Sam added.

"You have no proof of that," Bryan retorted.

Meanwhile, the judges had been sitting there with a mixture of shock and mild amusement on their faces. It was clear that they had no idea what was going on, but weren't about to jump to the iCarly crew's defense. Sam's remark, however, had them raising an eyebrow in Bryan's direction. Curious, Pattie asked Carly, "Wait, why would we be calling you at all? As far as I know, contestants volunteer to audition on their own."

"Christina Davis called me after I sang on iCarly," Carly explained easily, while Bryan stood there wearing an annoyed, slightly panicked expression. "She said that Bryan thought I was good and wanted me to audition. She said I'd be a shoo in, and that she would make sure I got to see who I needed to see."

"And then, when we tried calling her later on, she said she'd gotten someone else to replace Carly," Freddie couldn't help but add.

Glancing at Bryan, Steven said, "It _is_ curious. How could an average viewer know the name of your personal assistant, Bryan? Is any of what she's saying true?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Bryan argued. "Anyone could get the number for my office online and call! Security, escort these three to the holding room, where they can stay until auditions are done for the day."

"Dude, don't you think that's a little rough?" Ricky interrupted before security guards took hold of the kids. "From what you're saying, you think these _kids_ are lying about being contacted by our show, and edited Carly's voice after she was rejected at an audition. Honestly, I don't think they'd come all the way down here if they were in the wrong. What could they do about it? "

"They obviously came down here to try to audition again, then use the experience as fodder for their little web show," Bryan said.

Steven stood up from his seat with his arms crossed against his stomach. "I think we're all missing a big point here. The issue is whether or not Ms. Shay can sing, am I correct? If she _can_ sing, it means you had the show edit her voice….which validates her argument. If she can't, then that validates yours, Bryan. So, why are we all standing around arguing about it when we can just let the girl sing and get it over with?"

* * *

The entire group paused at that, realizing the truth in his words. The entire audience in the seats were still riveted to the scene in front of them Not a sound could be heard in the entire auditorium. After a minute Sam asked, "But how can we trust that you won't just edit her voice again? There are more iCarly viewers than those in this room who think we're liars."

"Actually, I think we can make sure of that ourselves," Carly said with a smile. At the adults' stares, she explained, "This camera's been rolling the entire time."

"But that's impossible! He pressed a button when the guards told him to turn it off," Bryan pointed out.

"_Yeah_, the button to _turn off the camera light_," Freddie revealed. All three of the friends were wearing broad smiles at that point, unable to help being a little cocky at Carly's quick thinking. "This baby has an anonymity feature, for when you don't want anyone to spot the red light that indicates the camera's rolling. Face it, we got you _good_."

His face red, Bryan argued, "You're lying!"

"Actually, no, he's not," Pattie spoke up. While they were talking, she and Ricky had taken out Ricky's laptop computer and typed in iCarly's address. She turned the screen around to show that what had transpired thirty seconds ago was now playing on the iCarly main screen. Meanwhile, those with portable internet devices in the audience excitedly went to the iCarly page to check it out as well. No one had paid any attention to the fact that Freddie had the camera on his shoulder the entire time, figuring that he was just the most comfortable holding it in that position.

Bryan glared at the trio of friends while he tried to maintain some dignity. "Then you've lost your bargaining chip, haven't you? The whole world has already seen you back me into a corner. We have no reason to include your 'audition' on the show, or promise that it won't be edited."

"Well, the _whole_ world hadn't seen it yet," Sam pointed out. "Just the people who happen to be on iCarly at the moment…"

"Five-thousand hits and rising," Ricky supplied.

Nodding, Carly continued, "Right. And _rising_. We _could_ pull the plug on the connection, and promise not to show the footage around. I'm sure the real press would love to do an exciting story on how reality show victims cornered the host of the number-one show on TV. And the _real_ judging process – we've been filming auditions for at least an hour now."

"But if the _Pre-Show_ goes by and we don't see Carly singing with her real voice, we go straight to non-cable network news," Sam finished. "And do a _special_ episode of iCarly, reminding viewers of our _exciting_ trip to the Central Seattle Theater."

"Nice touch," Carly remarked.

Bryan opened his mouth as if to argue, but sighed as he gave one last feeble attempt. "B-but you _did_ sneak in…"

"You're not the only one who decides if _National Pop Star_ presses charges, Bryan," Steven interrupted.

Turning to the kids, Pattie gently added, "Carly, Sam, Freddie…while we do have a hand in the audition practices of this show, Steven, Ricky, and I had no idea of the 'screening process,' nor do we have anything to do with online advertising. We're very sorry _if_ we as a show have harmed your reputation in any way."

"And now since that's out of the way…" Steven said, indicating center stage with a wide sweep of his arm. "Carly, the floor is yours."

Her smile wide, Carly went to center stage while Bryan stomped off to the side and Freddie readied the camera. The entire audience seemed to hold their breath in anticipation – it hadn't been cleared yet whether Carly really could sing or not. Taking a deep breath, Carly began a cappella her web show site's theme song, which she'd recorded with Freddie's technical equipment when the show first started…

_I know you see  
Some how the world will change for me  
And be so wonderful  
Live life breathe air  
I know some how we're gonna get there  
And feel so wonderful  
I will make you change your mind  
These thing happen all the time  
And it's all real  
I'm telling you just how I feel…_

The audience, including the judges, let out loud cheers and wild applause. Bryan Oceantrough slid down to the stage floor with his head in his hands. Freddie and Sam gave each other a celebratory high five.

And Carly kept on singing.

* * *

A/N: And so ends possibly the quickest chapter story I've ever written. I'm so proud of myself for actually keeping this down to the predicted five chapters. Thanks for the reviews, and the epilogue will be posted soon.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"…and that was Sam doing an impression of Bryan Oceantrough if he tried to sing for once! Good job, Sam! Although I think you popped my ear drum," Carly said, putting her finger in her ear to fix the problem. Meanwhile, Sam smiled and sat back down in the car.

It was late May, and the _National Pop Star Pre-Show_ was in full swing. With each night of auditions, Carly and Sam decided to host a special hour-long episode of iCarly so they could make fun of and comment on the show while they watched. They'd set up the TV from downstairs in the corner of the iCarly set across from the car, so Carly and Sam had comfortable seats while they munched on the large bowl of popcorn between them.

Tonight would be special though. They were finally broadcasting the Seattle auditions. Carly and Sam were patiently waiting to see if the next day would be spent calling national networks.

"Now, I'm sure you're all waiting anxiously for my audition," Carly said. "As I explained, I never did audition for the show…until after I went down there to clear my name. I'd like to take this time to once again apologize for anything I said that offended anybody, and that while I did audition, I _will not_ be appearing on _National Pop Star_ this season as a contestant."

"Come on, Carly, we've got a few minutes to kill, sing us a song," Sam pressed.

Carly shook her head. "No, I think my singing has gotten us in enough trouble already. Let's just wait…"

"Next up is Carly Shay!"

Sam and Carly's attention whipped around to the TV, where the show was introducing Carly's audition. "Here it comes…" Sam said.

On the TV, of course the show hadn't played any of the confrontation beforehand. Instead, they cut to Carly halfway into "Leave It All to Me." Everything was as it should be, with Carly's voice like it was that day, along with the judges and audience cheering.

"_Leave it all to me…"_ _Carly finished, then stepped forward on the stage and took the microphone a stage hand gave her. "Thanks for letting me sing, everyone. Since this will be on national television, I just want to make sure that everybody knows that I'm really sorry for what I said. I never meant to imply that I'm too good for reality TV, and it wasn't right for me to judge those who participate in it. I'm really sorry."_

"_We appreciate that, Ms. Shay," Steven replied. "And while we know you're not auditioning, I'd like to say that you do have natural talent, should you ever decide to pursue a singing career."_

"_I one-hundred percent agree. You've got a wonderful voice, and I loved the song!" Pattie added._

_Nodding in agreement, Ricky said, "Dude, come back and audition for us for real any time. We'd love to have you on the show."_

"_Thanks, I appreciate that. But I think I'll stick to iCarly for now," Carly replied. _

The show waited until Carly waved to the cheering audience and walked off the stage. Then it cut to commercial.

"Wow, Carly, you sounded better on camera," Sam remarked as she and Carly gave each other a high five.

Carly shrugged. "Thanks. But wasn't it weird how everyone thought that girl singing on the online ad was me?"

"Well, you know what they say. Everybody has a twin out there somewhere," Sam said with a chuckle. Part of their agreement with _National Pop Star_ was that if they played the tape of Carly's real voice, the three friends had to consent to the excuse that the show came up with – that a Carly look-a-like auditioned and was mistaken for the semi-famous web show star.

With that, Carly turned to the camera to begin their closing. "And that concludes this episode of the _National Pop Star Pre-Show_! Until next week, iCarly viewers! I'm Carly…"

"And I'm Sam!"

"See ya!"

A/N: The end! Still proud of myself for keeping this story short, lol. Thank you so much for the multiple reviews, ColorsOfTheSky101 and crono!


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